The present invention relates to portable bur blocks for holding dental burs and the like by means of removable elastomeric insert receptacles that may be color coded and arrangeable and rearrangeable in the block in organized manner for ready identification and accessibility, and furthermore to such bur blocks which can be placed in an autoclave for heat sterilization of the burs.
Dental burs (i.e., rotary drills, grinders, etc.) are usually placed in bur blocks on a dental counter or tray preparatory for use or for sterilization. The bur blocks currently available are typically solid wood or solid plastic blocks with a series of socket holes therein to hold the burs by their shanks. Usually the holes in the block are closed at the bottoms so that water entrapped therein can ultimately corrode the bur shanks. If such a bur block is accidentally tipped over the burs ordinarily can drop out. Magnetized stands have also been used to hold the burs along with other tools, but these are somewhat cumbersome to use and are subject to the burs becoming accidentally dislodged. Furthermore, since the shanks of dental burs are of significantly different sizes (FG-Friction Grip) and (RA-Right Angle) when bur blocks are used it has been necessary to provide bur blocks with holes of both sizes.
A broad object of the present invention is to provide an improved bur block overcoming the above-mentioned and related limitations, and more particularly an improved bar block having a group of insert receptacles therein each adapted to hold burs of the different sizes encountered. A related object is to provide such a bur block in which the holding action of the receptacles regardless of bur size is secure yet permits easy bur removal. Still another object is to provide such an improved bur block with removable, rearrangeable insert receptacles that may be differently colored for purposes of identification coding and thereby of organizing the burs in a convenient manner for ready identification and appropriate sequential accessiblity, a significant convenience to the dental operator under busy operating conditions.
A related object of the invention is to provide such a bur block that can be heat autoclaved for sterilization of the burs without damage to the block parts and without water condensate collecting in the bur receptacle sockets.
A further object hereof is to provide an improved bur block having a fitting thereon adapted to engage a complemental fitting on one or more other blocks so as to hold a group of such blocks in coplanar alignment for handling and storage as a composite unit.